November 4, 2021 at 11:23 a.m.
Fish Like a GIRL
Gardening in the 1990s
Fish Like a GIRL
That said, I am also of the mind that "friends do not tell friends that 1994 was almost 30 years ago." But yes, it was. Some might wonder why that would matter. But others, like me, remember their mom absolutely loving plants such as Lily of the Valley. A plant that was once very popular with gardeners that has since shown to be an invasive.
Many end up regretting planting it and some undertake the fight to get rid of it. Having some in the yard at my last house, I understand the struggle. It was making its way rather quickly to my fenced in area for my dogs (after looking it up I found it poisonous to dogs). It was time to head it off, so I read a great deal about how to do that and took on that fight. Sad, really. The little white flowers are pretty - but alas, one should not judge a book by its cover. This prolific spreader is listed in the "ground cover" section of the book, with no thought to its invasive ways.
That said, back to the gardening book I found by chance. Obviously, there is a lot of great advice in the book as well as some questionable things, such as purple loosestrife! It does mention the plant was found to be invasive "in recent years," but it is not something that would be treated as lightly today, I would imagine.
That aside, there were so many things to like about the book. As many know, I am a sucker for a good field guide, and this book feels like one - although, at just under 600 pages, it is not something I would tote into said field. It does, however, make identification easy. Another plus is the ability to have all of the height, size and color information for a plant at my fingertips when planning a garden space. The book is filled with full color photographs of various annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees and even speciality plants. One of the cool things was the discussion of the color wheel. I know there are a lot of people out there who are infinitely more artistic than I am who are fully adept at using a color wheel, but for me, having it in the book was a cool feature I am not sure I expected. There is also the form and texture as well as planning blooms to think about when planning a garden, and all of that is covered as well.
Planning landscaping is actually where the book starts out. It then moves into the many other features and ideas. I have always thought planning a garden space was half the fun, not to mention it is a great winter activity when temperatures dictate couch surfing rather than snowboarding.
Landscape planning, to me, is the fun part. Planning traffic patterns, garden accents and sitting areas such as patios all go into the end product. This book covers all of those things - with full color photographs as well as water-color look drawings. A discussion of how to "put a garden on paper" is further along in the book. It shows several samples depending on what the gardener hopes to accomplish
Another thing the book covers is what to do about garden problems. Maybe it is an unwanted weed that shows up or some discoloration in a grassy area. The book gives ideas as to what a gardener can do about various things. Unfortunately, many of the suggestions for pest plants include herbicides (again, 1994), and I feel like we have better alternatives that have come about in recent years. However, looking back, I do find it interesting to see what was acceptable or the "norm" in years past in the way of gardening.
Not only are there color photographs throughout, but also tables. For instance, one table is split into color choices. From there it indicates soil types, sun/shade preferences and plant height. It is easy to "fall in love" with certain plants looking at their photographs, but to know if they will actually fit into the framework of the garden in which I intend to plant them, it takes knowing a bit more about them. In some cases, perhaps it is better to look at a chart and make notes of possible plants to include rather than to fall in love with a photo and attempt to cram that plant into a place the might not make sense.
Because I have been doing a good deal of container gardening in the last couple of years as I search for the "perfect house" in the "perfect spot," this section of the book piqued my interest the most. I am already planning for next year's container garden (who isn't, right?) and, although this section was fairly small, it still gave me some good ideas, especially when looking at how to maximize space in a small place.
In the perennials section, where the color wheel information was found, I also found another "color and characteristics" chart, again offering up choices in color, height, soil drainage and sun. The next chart was all about blood date, making it easy to note certain varieties of plants and when they would flower. This is important, as we know, not only to provide lasting beauty in a garden, but for pollinators, birds and other wildlife. Native wildlife depend on native plants for forage and habitat, with lasting blooms being very important. So using a table such as the one I found in this book is really a win-win for wildlife and the gardener.
How to purchase healthy plants, how to transplant them for best results - all of the details a gardener might need are present. Even starting from seed and direct sowing is covered. Woody plants are covered in detail as well, making this more than simply a flower garden type of book.
Woody plants take more planning, as they are more of a permanent structure on the landscape. Again, everything from plant selection to transplanting and care are covered here.
The section on pests and diseases is one where I spent a good amount of time, too. It is easy to look at a plant and know something is wrong with it, or some pest has decided it is a good place to eat. But it is not always easy, at least for me, to figure out what is going on there. The pests and diseases section of the book puts it all in one place. There is a picture of what a plant might look like, what the cause is and what the cure is. Plants typically affected by each pest are also listed.
Water gardens are also covered in the book. I love the look of a water garden, but have never attempted one myself. The tasks seems daunting, and I applaud those that undertake it. Perhaps one day I will do the same. And just perhaps this book will be my motivation.
Looking back on different gardening ideas throughout the years is fun and interesting to me. As I said, one needs to be careful when consulting older gardening versions, of course. Understanding what is native and what could cause issues for a garden, or even a neighborhood, is important. When looking at used books such as this one, it is also interesting to see what previous owners have thought was noteworthy. I enjoy looking at notations written in the margins, or seeing what sections a previous owner may have underlined to remember for later. All of that is history and it is fun to imagine how a previous owner may have used the book, or how their landscape looked.
This great find may pull me back to that thrift store time and time again, all in the hopes of finding yet another snapshot in the history of gardening.
Beckie Gaskill may be reached at [email protected] or [email protected].
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